THE United States and China are joining forces in a final attempt to save the world’s most endangered creature, the vaquita.

Washington and Beijing have decided to unite with Mexico to convene a high-level diplomatic mission to stop the last 30 vaquita becoming extinct.

Things are looking decidedly bleak for the world’s smallest porpoise after plans to capture surviving animals in the Gulf of California and safeguard them in a floating pen were halted when one died.

There are now hopes that diplomacy can play a role in saving the vaquita after a surprise agreement between the three countries at the end of a major international conservation summit in Geneva.

As the talks at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) standing committee were coming to an end at the weekend, the three countries agreed to high level diplomatic efforts to tackle wildlife crime trafficking issues conspiring to wipe out the vaquita.

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Drowning in nets set for totoaba is the only known threat to vaquita in their habitat

Leigh Henry

Vaquita are only found in Mexico’s Gulf of California where they have been all but wiped out by the illegal trade in a fish known as the totoaba, which is highly prized in china as a fertility supplement.

Illegal poachers’ nets stretched out for the tototaba - dubbed “aquatic cocaine” as they can sell for £30,000 each on Far East black markets – have drowned countless numbers of air-breathing vaquita, leaving them at the point of oblivion.

Conservationists are welcoming the diplomatic efforts which will substantially increase intelligence-led enforcement action to end the illegal totoaba trade.

Leigh Henry, director of wildlife policy at WWF-US, said: “It’s been said before that it’s the eleventh hour to save the vaquita: there are fewer than 30 individuals remaining and illegal fishing of totoaba is driving this elusive porpoise to extinction.

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“Coming at the close of the meeting, Mexico’s willing support for a high-level mission to assist their efforts to combat the illegal totoaba trade grants the world’s most endangered marine mammal a lifeline.

“Drowning in nets set for totoaba is the only known threat to vaquita in their habitat.”

The Environment Investigation Agency is one of the nine conservation groups that had been pushing for the diplomatic mission which will have set time-bound actions by February next year.

Clare Perry, ocean campaign leader at EIA, said: “While an uphill battle remains to save the species, the decision provides a much-needed ray of hope for the vaquita, strengthening previous decisions of CITES which require the three parties to make serious progress towards ending the illegal totoaba trade.

“We welcome Mexico’s support of our intervention and sincerely hope that this represents a turn in the tide, with the country taking seriously its responsibility to fully protect the last remaining handful of vaquita.”

NC

The countries want to stop the last 30 vaquita becoming extinct

Last month the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society announced it was sending two ships to the warm waters of the Gulf of California for a six-month patrol to protect the critically endangered porpoise in an operation code-named Milagro IV.

The group also released a video to show how it is working with the Mexican army, navy and police forces to save the vaquita.

Sea Shepherd campaigners say they have played a vital role protecting the planet’s last vaquita, a species only discovered as new to science in 1958.

Its founder and chief executive Paul Watson, explaining: “If not for the confiscation of hundreds of nets and our drone interventions in finding the poachers at night, the vaquita would now be extinct.

“There are some people who say this is a lost cause and that extinction is inevitable. We disagree. Increased patrols, increased interventions coupled with the courage and the passion of our volunteer crews can prevail.”

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In a set back for the species last month, the Mexican government-backed Vaquita Conservation Protection Recovery revealed how a female porpoise died shortly after being captured and taken to a protective pen.

Another was released because she did bot adapt to specialist human care.

VaquitaCPR in a statement: “A full report will be issued when all information and analysis is complete.

“Because of the vaquitas’ reaction towards human care, VaquitaCPR lead scientists made a unanimous recommendation to an independent review panel of experts to cease the capture portion of the operation.”